1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the field of ornamental lighting systems, and more specifically to improvements in outdoor decorative landscaping as well as indoor flashing lighting systems with a plurality of lights simulating fireflies, twinkling stars, and other variable lighting pattern displays.
2. Description of the Related Art
Certain lighting systems using wired bulbs, light emitting diodes (LED) and fiber optics to produce ornamental or functional visual effects are known in the art. These lighting systems may be used indoors and outdoors for commercial or personal use in signs, scrolling billboards, and with Christmas, Halloween or other holiday lighting displays. Lighting systems may be used to produce light in varying colors and may provide consistent light, flashing or strobe light effects or patterns. It is also known to use alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) to provide power to lighting systems, batteries to store energy, and solar panels in conjunction with rechargeable batteries or photovoltaic switches to convert ambient solar or indoor light into energy that can be stored and used to power the lighting systems. Certain lighting systems may use circuitry and/or microprocessors to control display timing and patterns using switches, diodes, gates, and other electronic components.
Specific lighting systems disclosing varying methods and devices for creating flashing displays are known in the art, including systems providing flashing lights or safety and ornamental lighting to clothing and accessories as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,969,479, 7,029,140 and 7,129,654. Lighting systems attempting to simulate fireflies are also known in the art, with examples such as is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,570,924 and 6,851,208 and with such commercial products as sold by Firefly Magic, Creativations Fireflies, and Twilight Lights. However, some of the above mentioned lighting systems and other existing lighting systems known in the art have a number of disadvantages in producing variable intensity lighting displays. In particular, existing systems tend to use binary flashing patterns which are either on or off, and do not vary in intensity in a manner similar to how real fireflies display light.